The Herb Alpert Award in the Arts honors five mid-career professional artists whose work is judged to be going in exciting or radical directions. Each of the recipients receives a $75,000 prize.

Rakowitz, who recently unveiled a sculpture of a 14-foot winged Lamassu on the Fourth Plinth in London, also works in radio, video, performance and architecture to create thought-provoking installations, including his long-term project “The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist,” which re-creates artifacts looted or destroyed from the National Museum of Iraq. His solo exhibition, “Backstroke of the West,” was in view at the MCA Chicago Sept. 2017 to March 2018.

The panel cited Rakowitz for “his bold and deeply researched, deeply human work. Unearthing hidden histories, he makes art that speaks to a broad scope of social, political and economic issues, which potently reflect our present moment and create bridges across time and cultures.”